"He put the pressure on Sri Lanka's main bowler" - Sanjay Bangar picks Axar Patel as huge positive for India

Sanjay Bangar reckons Axar Patel is a huge positive for India from the second T20I against Sri Lanka in Pune because of the temperament he showed in difficult circumstances.

Axar smashed 65 off 31 deliveries in Pune on Thursday (January 5) after coming in at 58-5 in the tenth over, with his team chasing 207. However, his knock eventually went in vain as the Men in Blue lost by 16 runs.

During an interaction on the Star Sports show 'Match Point', Bangar was asked whether Axar's performance was a positive for India, to which he responded:

"He impressed a lot, especially the way he has worked on his batting. The temperament was seen. He always had batting ability; he had emerged as an all-rounder earlier. He put the pressure on Sri Lanka's main bowler - Wanindu Hasaranga - in tough circumstances."

The former India batting coach highlighted that the spin-bowling all-rounder continued to bat aggressively after taking apart Wanindu Hasaranga in Suryakumar Yadav's company, saying:

"He scored 26 runs in that over along with Suryakumar Yadav and got the momentum of the match towards their side. After that, he kept on playing big shots continuously; he didn't stop."

Bangar added that the performances of spin-bowling all-rounders like Axar and Washington Sundar are a huge plus for India, as they're extremely good signs for the team's balance.

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"He showed how an experienced player should play" - Sanjay Bangar lauds Suryakumar Yadav's knock

Suryakumar Yadav scored a half-century in the second T20I against Sri Lanka. (P/C: BCCI)

Bangar was further asked about his thoughts on Suryakumar's knock, to which he replied:

"He showed how an experienced player should play. If this team searches for experience, they look for it in Suryakumar Yadav and Hardik Pandya because the other batters are slightly new. When you are chasing a target over 200, you try to score 60 to 70 runs in the first six overs."

The cricketer-turned-commentator praised India's Mr 360 for playing as per the demands of the situation, elaborating:

"You lose wickets as well in that attempt, but then an experienced batter takes a little time and consolidates, searches for those pockets and the partners with whom he can build a good foundation so that they can chase very well. Suryakumar Yadav showed that by doing it."

Axar and Suryakumar strung together a 91-run sixth-wicket partnership in 6.4 overs after India were in a precarious 57-5 in the tenth over. Axar added a further 41 with Shivam Mavi for the seventh wicket but failed to take the team across the line.